


A little reminder

by MaevedMab



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Angst, Canonical Character Death, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Psychological Torture, Tears, Trauma
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-20
Updated: 2018-10-20
Packaged: 2019-08-04 17:02:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 734
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16350626
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MaevedMab/pseuds/MaevedMab
Summary: Severus is not cooperating with Dumbledore. Dumbledore reminds him of what he stands to lose. Again, and again, and again.





	A little reminder

Term for the 1991 school year had just started, and things were already unraveling. Ha-potter, the boy had finally arrived to start school at Hogwarts. Severus knew that this would come eventually, but was it supposed to be so soon? Didn’t He just lose Lily last month? That’s at least how it felt to him. The first day Dumbledore approached him, reminding him of his promise made years ago, but it all seemed irrelevant now. 10 years have passed without a whisper of the Dark Lord. And Severus, still stinging from seeing Lily’s green eyes shining in James Potter’s face, callously told Dumbledore to leave him be, that he didn’t need to do anything for the boy now.

Albus has not spoken to him in a few days. That was all right by him; if he thinks the silent treatment was a punishment to Severus, please, keep punishing him. That’s why it came as such a surprise to receive a letter passed from a student by the Headmaster.

Severus,  
Come to my office at once. There is something you need to see, and I cannot write this in a letter. Please hurry,  
Albus

Severus quirked an eyebrow, cant helping but being intrigued. He decided to humor the old man, and made his way to Albus’s office. Approaching the Griffen statue, he paused to deliver the password with a barely suppressed eye roll- Sherbert Lemon. Severus entered, calling out to Dumbledore.  
“Alright Albus, what is-“  
His breath caught in his throat, and for a few seconds he blinked his eyes, not understanding what he was seeing.

It was Lily.

She stood there. In the office. Barely looking a day older than when she died. Her eyes, eyes he’d never forget, caught his and widened. “Severus-Where am I? Why am I here?”  
Severus took a shaky breath and took a step closer. His voice came out in a croak, breaking at the end.

“Lily…”  
“What’s happening? Why am I here? This is wrong!” I’m not supposed to be here!” 

Severus’s eyes were quickly filling up. His heart felt like it was going to implode. His mind couldn’t make sense of what he was seeing; not that he cared. Severus tried finding his voice again.

“Lily- I’m so sorry, I, I can’t believe you’re here you’re here! Oh my god!”  
He took a step close to her. He then noticed that Lily had started crying. She extended her hand to him, like a child, looking lost.

“Help me…. I don’t understand…”

Severus was desperate to make her stop crying. He took another step closer to her, calling out softly.

“It’s ok. I’m here. We’ll figure it out.” With the last step he took, he took her in his arms for a tight hug. He felt his arms pull her body. Which felt lighter than before, and pulled her tight to him. 

He felt her hair on his face, her skin on his cheek.

And then he felt nothing.

He opened his eyes. She was gone. Blinking, confused, he looked around. “Lil-“  
Dumbledore was now in the office. In his hands held a black stone.

Severus started hyperventilating. “Where-where did she go? Lily, she was here- help me Albus!”  
He looked up at his headmaster, imploring. He grabbed the front of his robes, pulling.”Lily was here, she is alive, I saw her! Help me, help me!” His sentences breaking off into sobs. Dumbledore calmly and coldly pulled his hands from the robes, and helped lower Severus to the ground. Severus felt like he couldn’t breathe; nothing made sense, where did lily go? Why was she here and then not? He looked up at Albus again. Crying, he called out to him, sounding like a child.

“Bring her back. Please! Bring her back!”

Dumbledore slowly lowered himself to Severus’s level. He waited for a moment of quiet before speaking in the same calm, cold manner as before, looking right in Severus’s eyes.

“I can bring her back. And I can take her away. I can, and I will take her away from you. Again, and again, and again.”

Severus blinked, feeling sick.

“Please remember that the next time I ask something of you.”

Dumbledore made his way to the exit, tucking the black stone in his robes. He paused at the doorway.“Keep an eye on Quirrell, won’t you?”  
He left, leaving Severus still on the floor, shaking.


End file.
